Inside Cuba: The History, Culture, and Politics of an Outlaw Nation [Paperback]

John Miller (Editor), Aaron Kenedi (Editor), Andrei Codrescu (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2003 | Series: Inside Series

Through film, books, music, and—before the Revolution—travel, Cuba has long attracted and fascinated Americans. In the last few years, as travel to Fidel Castro's Cuba has once again become more feasible for U.S. citizens, thousands are visiting to see life there firsthand, before it disappears into the post-Castro era. Now Inside Cuba provides an accessible, all-in-one introduction to the island at what is recognized as a hinge moment in its history, as it begins to consider what life might look like after Castro. Organized into three sections—history, culture, and conflict—Inside Cuba presents Cuba in a variety of lights—from Che Guevara to jazz, the Cuban Missile Crisis to cigars, and Elian Gonzalez to baseball. Whether read from cover to cover or selectively by chapter, Inside Cuba—like its predecessors in the "Inside" series—will educate and entertain readers about this singular country. Such contributors as Cristina Garcia, Wendy Gimbel, Flor Fernandez Barrios, Susan Orlean, Ann Louise Bardach, Paco Ignacio Taibo, and Christopher Hitchens add to this stellar gathering of the most compelling writing about this passionate and mystifying land.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JOHN MILLER and AARON KENEDI are the editors of Inside Islam, Inside Israel, God's Breath, and the forthcoming God's Light. They have created over fifty books in the last fifteen years. They are the principals of Miller Design Partners, a media design firm in St. Petersburg, Florids. ANDREI CODRESCU is heard regularly on NPR's All Things Considered and is the author of The Devil Never Sleeps, among many other books. He lives in New Orleans.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"North American thirst for Cuba is unquenchable. We've been involved with her history, her charms, and her moods since the adolescence of the United States republic. In the nineteenth century we helped her break up with Spain and encouraged her independence, and, ever since, we have resented this proud independence because we wanted her all to ourselves. The passage of time has done little to lessen either our fascination or our irritation.

Inside Cuba takes a look at this tormented affair, paying particular attention to the current predicaments and their roots in history. The question that this book, as well as everybody ever touched by Cuba fever, asks is this: After Castro, what? It's the million-dollar question, and the answers are numerous and contradictory. One thing, though, is for sure: our romance with Cuba is far from over."

--From the introduction by Andrei Codrescu

Product Details

• Paperback: 334 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569244847
• ISBN-13: 978-1569244845
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,387,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great content - embarassing editing, March 15, 2004

By 

Meriah L. Crawford (Richmond, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside Cuba: The History, Culture, and Politics of an Outlaw Nation (Paperback)

There's great stuff in this book. It's just a taste, and it covers a lot of ground - chapters on cigars and baseball along with early Cuban history and the revolution. It's a good introduction to help you decide where and what to read next.

HOWEVER, it's clear that the publishers scanned in at least most of the content, using optical character recognition software to turn it into text - and then they forgot to edit it. There are MANY, MANY errors in this book. It is a great embarassment to the publishers, who should be ashamed to have their names printed on it. I feel sorry for all of the writers whose work was treated so carelessly.